Monster House was a sleeper hit when it was released in 2006, and it still goes vastly underappreciated by those who don’t realize how great it is. With an all-star cast and a great storyline, this animated film is the perfect family scary movie for Halloween. Monster House is streaming on Netflix on August 1.

The Cast

My kids, dedicated scary movie fans, found Monster House on Netflix one day by accident. They turned it on and have loved it ever since. I kept catching bits and pieces of the movie as I was going about other tasks until they finally insisted I sit down to watch it.

As I began paying closer attention, I realized this amazing animated film had entirely escaped my radar. Steve Buscemi, Maggie, Gyllenhaal, Catherine O’Hara, Kevin James, and so many more actors give voice to this frightfest that turns out to be a heartwarming picture about love.

Get Off The Lawn

Monster House opens with middle schooler DJ Walters (Mitchel Musso) filming his crotchety old neighbor, Mr. Nebbercracker (Buscemi), scaring a little girl off his property and taking her tricycle as he yells after her, “get off my lawn!”

He notes that the cranky old man does this every time any kid gets close to the house. As he wanders downstairs, he says goodbye to his parents (Fred Willard and Catherine O’Hara), who are headed off for a convention. DJ will be supervised by a teenage babysitter, Zee (Gyllenhaal).

The Story Continues

Later that day, DJ meets his buddy Chowder (Sam Lerner) outside, and Chowder loses his basketball on the lawn of the “monster house,” where Netflix viewers can watch Nebbercracker again run outside and shout at the boys to get off his lawn.

Suddenly, the old man grabs his chest and falls over, seemingly from a heart attack. An ambulance arrives and takes him away, and the boys think he’s dead.

That night, Zee’s boyfriend, Bones (Jason Lee) comes to the house and tells the boys about his experience with the monster house stealing his kite. As he leaves Zee and the boys, he sees his old kite on the porch of the monster house and goes to get it, but he’s swooped into the house by an invisible force and disappears.

The next day, the boys “save” a girl from school, Jenny (Spencer Locke) from trick-or-treating on Halloween at the house. All three of them realize something is off with the house and they call the police.

The Quest

Sadly, when the police (Kevin James and Nick Cannon) arrive, the monster house remains quiet for Netflix viewers. From this point on, the three kids investigate the history of the house, the rumors that Nebbercracker murdered his wife there, and whether Nebbercracker’s spirit is somehow tied to the house.

They consult a “supernatural expert,” Skull (Jon Heder), who tells them they have to find the heart of the monster house.